Operation Switchback
by NoMane
Summary: It would be hers again. That, she would be sure of. To Rouge, things are to be taken or left, and people are to be avoided, used, or slain.


Disclaimer: Not my characters in this story. This is fanfiction; that should be self-explanatory.

**Operation Switchback**

_'Tiring.'_

That was only thought on a certain bat's mind as she laid on the ground. A long surveillance mission could prove exhausting.

The definition of long often varies with the threat level of the mission and the anxiousness of the operative.

The threat level was low.

She shook her head ruefully, _'No such thing. Threat level is always high.'_

A little grin came to her face, _'That's what makes this fun.'_

She crawled forward a little bit, thankful for the dark colored full body suit, and the cover of night. Even her scent had been changed for the sake of this little operation; she smelled no different than the grass itself. Her legendary reputation would probably aid in her identification, which was the primary reason for all of these precautions.

Sound and sight would be the primary issues. Approaching would require absolute perfection of both timing and performance. One slip up and it could be the end for any chances of success.

The target was in sight and there was only one thing to do: move.

Instincts told her to strike swiftly, but she thought better of it; subtlety would save her life here.

Zero movement from the target, save for the inhale, exhale cycle.

She waited another minute, watching for the slightest sign of any sort of movement that would denote awareness or any emotion other than calm. None.

Noiselessly, she began her approach by climbing to her feet. Her breath almost gave her away, but she managed to quiet it. Every step fed her excitement and worry. However, the latter influenced her much less than the former. She got cocky, as she came within five steps. Her foot fell heavily and the grass reported it to everyone.

All of a sudden, a flash of red flew towards her and stopped, just before punching her in the face. Rouge might have dodged if she knew he wouldn't have held back that first blow.

"What the...?"

She smirked and twisted to sweep his legs out from underneath him, making the motion all too obvious. Still shocked but not defenseless, he leaped over the attack easily and, after coming down, shoved her backwards without doing her any harm.

"Can't you come back tomorrow?" He sounded exhausted, like he was at his limit. The echidna, apparently, had not been sleeping well. Never the less, he raised his fists, ready for a fight.

That led the bat to hesitate for a second before replying.

For his trouble, he would receive no words, only another kick. This one hit him, thankfully it was a glancing blow. However, his right side would probably be sore for a while. If he were more alert and less of a simpleton, he might have realized that she was just teasing him. She knew she didn't have to fight at her full potential to win while he was in this condition. That's the only thing that could ever cause her to hold back.

She didn't stop pressing the attack, though. Those strikes were more intended to make him sweat than to hit him, though a few did land. Instead of relying on her feet, she used her arms as well. While her kicks were obviously stronger, she had to do everything she could to keep him off balance; if he were to get off a good counterattack...

Another punch later, Rouge found herself caught by the left arm. Instead of taking the opportunity to punch her, he decided to just throw her away.

Again, she saw him hold back. Maybe he was hoping that he wouldn't have to hurt her after what happened on the ARK, maybe he was too tired to realize that he was facing someone that wouldn't hold back at all.

Before he could toss her, however, there was a knife in her free hand, and the flat of it was pressed against his throat.

"The game's over, Knucklehead." Her first words to him this night are smug, proving that the owner had probably, "Let go of me and turn around."

He complied, knowing he was beat. The blade was kept near his neck the whole time, however. With her foe unable to stop her, she turned her attention towards the green gem that had drawn her here in the first place. To her, it was the most marvelous thing she would ever lay eyes on. At this moment, she was sure that if she had to choose between her firstborn and that Emerald, she would take the latter and even if she had to leave the former to fend for itself.

The white bat let out a content sigh, as if imagining what she could get once she would sell the thing...

Her focus came back to Knuckles one second too late; he had already slipped away from the position she had him in.

A real punch was coming towards her, this one could kill her. A quick side step to the right, followed by a kick at the attacking arm proved to be far too quick for him to dodge. With a sickening, resounding crack, his right arm fell limp. The pain stunned him for an instant, though he only gritted his teeth, despite what great pain he had to have been in. It was time to finish it, the jewel loving rogue realized at that moment.

The knife flashed as it dove forward, ready to taste blood, but it didn't move fast enough. Now there were two hands on the hilt. Before he could use his arm's great strength against her, she got her other hand into the mix. Each struggled against the other, but, ultimately, nothing was accomplished.

Back and forth, moving only a couple centimeters in its entire motion, the blade danced lazily, as if unable to decide whose blood it wanted more.

Even after a minute's struggle, there was no progress either way. At this rate, she feared, that she would be the one to be pushed back, "Why don't you give up?!" It was a desperate shout.

"I must," He paused, grunting as if trying to throw her backwards, "protect the Master Emerald!"

Their eyes met at that moment. His eyes were no longer proud and reflecting his inner endurance and energy, they showed his inner weakness and how crucial this struggle was to him.

Something about that caused Rouge to feel a fluttering in her chest, which weakened her arms for a moment. Her own weapon came closer, but she staved it off before it could even slice her clothing. She resolved that this was not a fight she could win like this. The stakes were too high, she knew; she knew now that she would not be able to deal him a lethal blow.

There was a problem, now, however. The way they were pushing against each other, she would likely not be able to slip out of it without turning the blade on him or letting it strike at her. He would also not likely trust her enough to agree to a surrender.

She would have to cut it close to escape this grapple without hurting either of them. She focused on his eyes again and noticed that he seemed to be tiring.

With a small nod, she let go of the weapon with one of her hands. Though he was much stronger, he managed not to slash her when half of the resistance opposing him vanished. At the same time, perhaps guided purely by chance, they let go of the knife. By the time it had landed, blade down in the dirt, both combatants were a few steps away from each other, watching the other warily. The silence lasted far too long, even by the loner's standards.

"Why?" Knuckles queried, "Why did you come here?"

The thief turned her gaze towards the Master Emerald, pondering her reasons for a moment.

"If you wanted the Emerald...you would have just taken it, just like you did before."

With a sigh, she shook her head and turned away from him, not wanting to have to explain herself. She reached into a pouch on the leg of her suit and pulled out a small spray can.

She tossed it towards the echidna, "It's a highly advanced medicine, special issue. It should heal your wound quickly."

Though she didn't tell him that overuse would be likely to kill him, it didn't really matter; even one full container wouldn't be enough for an overdose.

As she began to walk away, she heard him call, "Thank you."

There was no response for him as she crept off into the night. Though her mouth said little, her actions this night had said too much for her. Though she was no coward, she knew that she wouldn't be able to harm him. Unlike her other enemies, he was someone she couldn't just dispose of...

**Notes: Yeah, it's a fanfic. I've never really tried any Sonic Fanfics with any sort of seriousness before, so tell me how I did, all right?**


End file.
